I never realized how far apart my family was until someone asked me this question “How come you don’t come over to your parent on Thanksgiving?’ Thanksgiving is the ultimate family reunion in our country. It didn’t matter how busy you were; you dropped everything else and push it to a later date if its Thanksgiving. But it had been years since I last went to my parents house. There was an underlying rift between my father and I but I realized that they were getting old plus my kids whined about seeing grandma and grandpa lately. I called my brother and my two sisters and told them we should meet on Thanksgiving. They all agreed and wisely refrained from asking my change of heart. I was actually looking forward to seeing them after so many years and whatever hurts I harbored against them were erased with time.
When Thanksgiving came, we were the first to arrive at my parent’s house and we thought we would catch them in surprise. But they looked as if they expected our arrival. When I asked them if any of my siblings told them in advance, my mom put her hand in mine and said, “Every year, we expect your coming.”
My friend told me this story. This story did happen to him. This is a reminder for us to step back and look at our priorities carefully. Are we spending more and more time on our career, favorite sports, or making money, in general and less and less time with our children? Where we spend most of our time tells of what is most valuable to us. If we truly value our family, we should go the extra mile in making them feel that way. It may mean forming a dinner group. It may mean doing other things. Whatever it is remember that life is short, and as the Nike ad says “Just do it.”
